State the route of the first journey. What was the great event of this journey? What was the second journey? What events are named with this journey? What was the third journey? What two events took place with this journey? What was the longest journey? Name four places of this journey? Name two events near its close. What was the last journey? What events took place at this time? Where was the last encampment of the Is'ra-el-ites? What institutions originated during this period? What was the political effect of this epoch upon the people? How did it give them liberty? What was the influence in military affairs? What were its results upon the religion of the people? FIFTH STUDY Institutions of Israelite Worship PART ONE In the Old Testament we note certain forms and institutions for worship, and as some of these received their shaping during the wilderness life of the Is'ra-el-ites, we give a brief account of such institutions at this place in the history. I. Earliest of all institutions for worship we find the =Altar=, and throughout the Old Testament the altar worship stands prominent. 1. =Its Principle=, the root idea underlying the altar, was of a meeting between God and man. As the subject always came to his ruler with a gift in his hands, so the worshiper brought his offering to his god, whether Je-ho'vah, the God of Is'ra-el, or Ba'al, the divinity of the Ca'naan-ites. 2. =Its Origin= is unknown, but it was early sanctioned by a divine approval of the worship connected with it (Gen. 4. 3, 4; 8. 20; 12. 8). 3. =Its Universality.= There was scarcely a people in the ancient world without an altar. We find that the worship of every land and every religion was associated with altars. (See allusions in Isa. 65. 3; 2 Kings 16. 10; Acts 17. 23, to altars outside of the Is'ra-el-ite faith.) 4. =Its Material.= Among the Is'ra-el-ites it was of earth or unhewn stone. Where metal or wood was used it was merely for a covering, the true altar being of earth inside. The laws of Is'ra-el forbade any carving of the stone which might lead to idol worship (Exod. 20. 24, 25). 5. =Its Limitation.= In the patriarchal age the chief of the clan was the priest, the altar stood before his tent, and there was but one altar for the clan, which thus represented one family. When Is'ra-el became a nation only one altar was allowed by the law, carrying out the idea that all the Twelve Tribes were one family (Deut. 12. 13, 14; Josh. 22. 16). Yet the law, if known to the Is'ra-el-ites, was constantly ignored by the prophets (1 Sam. 7. 9; 1 Kings 18. 31, 32). 6. =Its Prophetic Purpose=, as revealed in the New Testament, was to prefigure the cross whereon Christ died (John 1. 29; Heb. 9. 22; 1 Pet. 3. 18). II. The =Offerings=, as fully developed and named in the law, were of five kinds, as follows: